Route 4: Great North Road
Route 4: Great North Road

Improvements for pedestrians, people on bikes and bus users are coming for the section of Great North Road between Crummer Road and Ponsonby Road.

We aim to deliver a safer, more appealing route for people on bikes while making bus journeys in peak times faster and more reliable.

This will predominantly be a route for people to cycle into the city from this area and further west. It will also allow more people to cycle into the city from this area and further west. It will also allow more people to access shops along Great North Road.

22 December 2016

Project details

We developed a design for this route that paid particular attention to improving safety for people on bikes, and making bus journeys in peak times faster and more reliable. We asked for feedback the proposal to help us improve the designs and identify opportunity for improvement. Find out what has changed as the result of public feedback.

Changes to on-street parking

We recognise the importance of on-street parking for businesses. We have taken care to minimise any parking removal required, however this project will result in a net loss of 23 spaces (approximately 13% of the available parking) along the length of the route.

This loss of parking is necessary to improve the safety of all road users, by increasing visibility of traffic exiting or entering side streets and driveways.

The percentage of available parking calculated is an approximation, as parking spaces are not individually marked and it is difficult to estimate specific numbers.

Bus stop changes

To accommodate the proposed cycling improvements and to improve bus service efficiency along this part of Great North Road, we are making changes to some bus stops:

City-bound:

Remove existing bus stops #8111 and #8109, and replace with a new stop in the ‘floating’ bus stop design at 367-375 Great North Road (near Harcourt Street)

Remove existing bus stops #8107 and #8105, and replace with a new stop in the ‘floating’ bus stop design at 205-209 Great North Road (west to Turakaina Street)

Upgrade existing bus stop #8101 to the ‘floating’ bus stop design

West-bound:

Remove existing bus stop #8110

Remove existing bus stops #8106 and #8104 and replace with a new stop outside 204-234 Great North Road.

Floating bus stop design

The proposed bus stop layout known as a 'floating' bus stop consists of a bus stop ‘island’ for passengers to board from and exit onto. The cycle lane will continue interrupted behind the bus stop, reducing the potential for conflict between people on bikes, buses and passengers boarding/exiting buses.

Please refer to the bus stop map above for locations of the possible bus stop improvements.

Exclusions from this project

Intersection of Ponsonby Road, Great North Road and Karangahape Road

This intersection is under investigation and will be improved as part of the upcoming Karangahape Road improvements. This will ensure this intersection is safe and convenient for people on bikes, as well as pedestrians and motorists.

The route through Grey Lynn shops

The Grey Lynn shopping centre section of the cycling network is being treated as a separate project to this proposal. There are several factors to consider when designing a connection through this area and there is no easy solution. When investigating possible options we will carefully consider the needs of people and groups with an interest in this section of Great North Road (such as people on bikes, businesses, vehicle users and bus users).

This section will be considered for inclusion in our next programme of cycling projects (2019-2021), subject to funding.

Feedback

The consultation period ran for five weeks, from 16 September to 21 October 2016. 171 individual people submitted feedback on this route, as well as four key stakeholder groups. This feedback helped us recognise and improve any issues that the community might have with the proposal.

We have compiled the feedback into common themes and written a report outlining the decisions made for each route.

Feedback summary

AT has used your feedback to further develop the proposal for a cycling and bus priority route along Great North Road. The designs will be finalised in the coming months, but the key features will be:

Construction of a 1.6m wide on-road cycleway, in each direction along Great North Road, with a 0.4m wide physical separator between the cycleway and the bus lane. While the cycleway will run along the majority of the route, there will be a short section between Coleridge Street and Crummer Road where, due to space constraints, the cycleway will revert to a shared path.

Retention of the existing bus lanes on both sides of Great North Road.

Changes to the intersection layout at Great North Road / Bond Street / Grosvenor Street. We are investigating realigning the entry to Grosvenor Street, constructing a raised table across Grosvenor Street, and installing an additional pedestrian crossing on the east side of the intersection.

Installation of additional pedestrian refuge crossings along Great North Road.

What happens next

We have some further investigatory work to complete, but expect to begin construction in late 2017.

Previous barriers identified

There were a number of concerns raised for this proposed route in the previous consultation for the area, which the designs have made an effort to address.

This proposal provides separated cycle and bus facilities to avoid conflict with buses and improve safety for cyclists.

High foot traffic, Great North Road

A separated on-road facility is proposed for most of the route; a short section of shared path is proposed outside St Joseph's school, and the path will be wide enough to cater for both cyclists and pedestrians.

Inconsistent cycle path, Great North Road

The proposal connects to three proposed cycleway routes: the Surrey Cres to Garnet Rd project; the Greenways Route (connecting Cox's Bay Reserve to Great North Road); and the Karangahape Road street improvements project.

Parked vehicle hazard, Great North Road

The concerns raised about parked vehicles are negated by the separated cycleway design.

Side streets/vehicles turning, Great North Road

Cyclists will have priority over turning vehicles at the intersections. This will be highlighted via road markings.

Storm water drains are a hazard, Great North Road

We are aware that existing catch pits are a physical hazard to cyclists. To negate this, all the catch pits in this section of Great North Rd will be raised in order to lie level with the new surface and provided with cycle-friendly grates.